Initial D: The Fastest Run
by Todd Foster
Summary: Takumi must become faster. He knows but lacks the knowledge. And someone has now arrived to give him the knowledge he needs to make the fastest run.


Author's Notes: Initial D is not owned by me so I make no claims of ownership. Also all speed indications are in Kilometres Per Hour unless otherwise noted. Besides that, enjoy!  
  
  
  
Initial D  
  
The Fastest Run  
  
  
  
By Todd Foster  
  
E-mail: tnf927@adelphia.net  
  
  
  
Chapter 1: Who is That Guy?  
  
  
  
"What do you think?"  
  
"Takumi should have no problem defeating the BMW. With the new engine in Takumi's Hachi-Roku he shouldn't have to worry about the acceleration difference and the driver of that BMW is not even close to Takumi's skills. No, this race was won before they took off," Ryosuke replied to his brother.  
  
Keisuke looked down towards the first corner the two cars had shot around, listening to the fading sounds of squealing tires and revving engines. He had seen the driver of the cherry red BMW make a run down the mountain the week before and was not as convinced as his brother was about Akina's Hachi-Roku winning this battle so easily.  
  
He was about to mention this to Ryosuke when they were interrupted by a yell from the back of the crowd that was at the summit. Then he heard the sounds of a car horn blaring as the crowd began to scatter to the side of the road. As the crowd parted he was able to see the oncoming headlights of the car that had come up the other side of Mount Akina. And it was coming toward them at a very high speed.  
  
Following the crowd's lead he made to move to the side of the road out of the approaching car's way when he looked back and saw his brother still standing in the road. He was looking back at the rapidly approaching car and making no effort to move out of the middle of the road.  
  
Taking a quick look back to see where the car was he made to call out to his brother but saw he would never be able to move in time to avoid being hit by the speeding vehicle. As he watched his brother being lit up by the cars headlights he noticed the look on his brother's face. It was calm and collected. The same expression he always got when he was concentrating on something. And the focus of his concentration was on the approaching car.  
  
Keisuke looked back at the car in time to see it move over into the left lane just before it flew by Ryosuke. The image would be burned into his memory forever. A blue car, two doors, long somewhat high front end, sloped windshield which blended into the roof line and sloped down again to the rear deck lid in one smooth line. A small spoiler was on the raised rear deck lid, and from the deep rumble of the exhaust there was no doubt the car was a powerful one. And his brother stood his ground as the blue car passed by him with only a few inches to spare. And the only motion Ryosuke made was for his head to track the car as it flew by. The wind from the passing car whipping his hair and clothes about him.  
  
In the blink of an eye the car was past and speeding on down the mountain in the direction of Takumi and the BMW. Ryosuke stood transfixed in the middle of the road looking at the disappearing tail lights.  
  
"Ryosuke!" Keisuke called out as he ran up to his brother.  
  
As he ran up Ryosuke turned to him, an odd expression on his face. A determined one.  
  
"I must race him," Ryosuke said quietly.  
  
"What?!" Keisuke yelled in shock from the sight of his brother being nearly run over.  
  
"That blue car," Ryosuke continued, "I have not seen that type of car before. It must be American made as the driver was sitting on the left side of the car. But most of all it was the driver. He was cool and collected. He held the steering wheel gently in his hands. It reminds me of Takumi's driving. He almost looked bored to distraction but he was in full control of that car. He was driving it with a skill that is so good it almost gives off an aura. A physical presence."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
Ryosuke just turned to look down the mountain. "Nagazato would understand what I'm talking about," he stated simply.  
  
Just then the radio in Ryosuke's hand came to life. "This is the first check point. They are coming up on us now. We can see headlights. . . Whoa! The Hachi-Roku is way out in the lead! If the BMW doesn't speed up there is no way he is going to catch up!"  
  
"Copy that," Ryosuke replied into the radio. Then he thought of something.  
  
"All check points, this is the start line. A blue car just blew through here coming up from Lake Akina. If anyone recognizes the make of the car, please call it out," Ryosuke said, "And be sure to give an update once it comes by."  
  
"What are you thinking?" Keisuke asked.  
  
"That blue car will catch up to the racers fairly soon. This will be a truly interesting battle."  
  
"You think that car can catch up to Takumi?!"  
  
Shortly they got their first report from check point one.  
  
"This is checkpoint one," the radio squawked, "We see headlights and it is coming up on the corner fast. Should start braking any second...Why isn't he stopping? He's never going to clear the corner at that speed!"  
  
The sounds of a racing engine could be heard over the radio. Then there was the screeching of tires as they fought to get a grip. Keisuke wasn't sure but he thought he heard the sound of the linkages moving from the transmission. He was shifting?  
  
Then the sound of the engine was deafening as it revved up high. The squeal of the tires grew louder then stopped. All you could hear was the sound of the engine racing, growing distant quickly.  
  
Silence soon followed.  
  
"What did you see, checkpoint one?" Ryosuke asked.  
  
It was a few moments before they got a response. Ryosuke was going to repeat himself when they suddenly responded.  
  
"Impossible...We aren't too sure but it looked as though that car went through the corner faster then even Akina's Hachi-Roku did. Some one here said it was an American made Ford Mustang but it didn't look quite right he says. And he isn't positive but he doesn't think that car should have been able to go around that corner as fast as it did. Even if it is modified."  
  
"Thank you," Ryosuke replied.  
  
As the reports came it was clear that the Mustang was quickly catching up to the racers. It wasn't long before he had passed the BMW and was coming up on Takumi. By then Takumi had developed a considerable lead over the BMW but the Mustang was quickly making up the distance.  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
Takumi was bored. He had lost sight of the BMW in his rear view mirror after only six turns. This was no contest, he didn't have to push himself and his mind was wandering onto other things. He wasn't even fully aware of his driving. And he also wasn't aware that he was running just a shade faster then he usually did.  
  
He was three turns from the five hairpins when headlights appeared in his rearview. And they were getting closer.  
  
The BMW? Takumi wondered. No, the headlights were different. It was someone else but he wasn't sure who. He didn't recognize the design as being from one of the cars he had raced before. And it was amazingly fast!  
  
Playing the clutch while heal-and-toe-braking he shot around the corner executing a nearly perfect drift. He dropped it to the floor coming out and pushed as hard as the new engine could go. The car appeared around the corner behind him.  
  
It had closed about half the distance between them and was still coming on strong.  
  
Takumi once again focused on his driving. This was getting exciting. And he concluded that this new guy was amazingly good. Given how he was now almost on Takumi's bumper.  
  
It was confirmed in the next corner, the last one before the hairpins. One moment the car was right behind him when he started his drift. Then he glanced over and saw that the car was right next to him in a twin drift. It was blue, and the driver was looking seemingly right at him from the left side of the car?  
  
Takumi set that thought aside as he came out of the corner. The blue car was right next to him. They were pacing each other side by side as they tried to get to the start of the hairpins first. Takumi was already setup to use the inside of the first hairpin.  
  
An instant before he hit the brakes to enter the blue car suddenly shot back and reappeared immediately behind Takumi. There could not have been more the five centimeters seperating their bumpers. With a thump and a scraping sound Takumi dropped his inside tires into the gutter and shot around the hairpin at an incredible speed.  
  
The car jolted as he exited the hairpin and the tires came out of the gutter. Glancing back he saw the blue car was still there as though welded to his bumper. They stayed that way until they came out of the last hairpin.  
  
Takumi came out the last hairpin full bore with the blue car right on him. It was a good sized length of straight road before the next turn and Takumi needed to get there as fast as he could. If it passed him he would not be able to catch up to the blue car. Even with the new engine under the hood he somehow knew he would not be able to catch this guy.  
  
He must stay out in front.  
  
Suddenly the headlights vanished.  
  
Where?  
  
Where were they?  
  
He looked out his window and saw him. Sitting right next to him was the blue car. He could see the driver clearly. The driver was looking at him. And smiling. The driver's mouth move as though speaking but he didn't have a clue as to what he was saying.  
  
Then the blue car was past him, accelerating faster then Takumi could.  
  
He watched as the next corner came up fast. He watched as the blue car's tail lights lit up. He wasn't sure but it looked like the rear tires actually started to spin faster. He watched as the back end came loose and the car entered a drift. It shot through the corner at a speed Takumi wasn't sure he could match.  
  
He couldn't. Coming out of the corner the blue car was way out in front of him and getting farther. He could just barely see the tail lights of the blue car as he came around the last corner and watched the blue car shoot through the finish line and keep going.  
  
Takumi crossed the line and came to a stop. He got out and looked in the direction the blue car had gone.  
  
Who was that guy?  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
The news of Takumi loosing was a shock to everyone. And by a full ten seconds. It was unheard of.  
  
"How?" Keisuke wanted to know. Takumi was Ryosuke's equal and even he could not have caught up to Takumi with the kind of lead that Mustang had had to make up. Who was this guy?!  
  
Ryosuke ignored him. Instead he spoke into the radio. "Hairpins checkpoint, this is the start."  
  
"Go ahead," came the reply.  
  
"Is Nagazato there?"  
  
"Actually he is standing right next to me, hold on."  
  
Silence for a moment then a new voice came on.  
  
"This is Nagazato."  
  
"Did you see it?"  
  
"Yes, I have never seen an aura that strong before. It was almost a physical presence. This guy is better then everyone here I think. Even you, Ryosuke."  
  
"I'll see you at the bottom," Ryosuke said into the radio. He then turned to Keisuke. "Are you coming?"  
  
At the bottom of the mountain there were quite a few people still there nearly an hour and a half later. Everyone was still discussing what that blue car was about. They had found out though that the car was indeed a Ford Mustang, most likely a 1997 or 1998 model judging by the tail light design. One other thing was clear, the car was not stock in the least. The performance the blue Mustang showed was far beyond what a stock model could do. Except maybe for the Cobra R version of the car but they knew it was not one of those from the body design of the one they had seen.  
  
All of this thanks to Ryosuke and his laptop.  
  
"So what do we know?" Keisuke asked.  
  
"It's a modified Ford Mustang and the driver is of a skill we have not seen before," one of the gathered replied, "That about sum it up?"  
  
"For the moment," Ryosuke said.  
  
"So now what?" Keisuke wanted to know.  
  
Ryosuke shut down his laptop. "We might as well as head home. There isn't much more to do here. Oh yeah.  
  
"What do you recall, Takumi?"  
  
"Umm," Takumi scratched his temple thinking, "He seemed to follow my line exactly. Right up until he passed me. I think he could have passed me at any time he wanted to until we entered the five hairpins. Oh, and when he hit the corner just after passing me it seemed as though that when he started his drift his rear tires began to spin faster."  
  
Ryosuke and Keisuke looked at each other. "A power over?"  
  
"It fits what we know."  
  
"We got someone coming this way!" someone shouted from the back of the group.  
  
Everyone moved to the side of the road and watched as the new comer came up. Most everyone there recognized the car as it pulled up. A black Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III. The Emperor logo on the side merely confirmed it. It was Kyouichi Sudou. Fastest driver of team Emperor.  
  
Ryosuke was wondering just why he was here. He could not have heard of the blue Mustang this quickly, could he? He would know soon enough.  
  
Sudou came to a stop in front of the group and climbed out of his LanEvo. He walked over to where Ryosuke, Keisuke, and Takumi were standing.  
  
"I heard about the blue Mustang," he said simply, "What can you tell me about him?"  
  
After the surprise of him already knowing about the Mustang wore off they filled him in on what they knew. Which was very little.  
  
Sudou took it all in without a word. When they were done he took out a cigarette and lit it.  
  
"I wonder if it's him?" he said as he let out a puff of smoke.  
  
"Do you know him?" Ryosuke asked, his curiosity quipped.  
  
"Several years ago I was over in America. While I was there I met a driver of unusual skill. He raced in the mountains over there that were part of the Rocky Mountains. They are steep and fast over there. We don't have any courses that come close to some of the down-hills they have over there. Those passes scared me like no other. Too easy to run too fast and go over a cliff. But he flew down those passes as though he were immortal. He had no fear, and he could push his car to it's absolute limit. He drove a highly modified blue 1998 Ford Mustang. I have never seen a car do what that one could. I think he was a computer technician by trade but he could have easily been one of the top five automotive designers in the world with what he could do.  
  
"With that car and skill he has no equal that I have seen. I had forgotten about him until I got the call from one of my people about a blue Mustang running at Akina that had beaten Takumi."  
  
"What was his name?" Ryosuke asked.  
  
"His name was Richard Donovan if I remember correctly."  
  
Ryosuke had opened his laptop during Sodou's recollection of the Mustang and had been imputing the information. "Do you recall what he had done to the car?"  
  
"If I remember right he was using a custom suspension system and had done some heavy tuning to the engine. Exactly what he did I can't remember if I ever did know."  
  
Ryosuke looked down at what he knew. He didn't know much at all. He would have to do some searching online once he got home. 


End file.
